by MapQuest Editorial | Contributor | January 10, 2012 Over 110 Limestone Caves Await Beneath the Surface Located in the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is named for its impressive network of caves , which are the seventh-longest in the world. American Indians and early settlers knew about them, but aside from guano harvesting, the caves garnered little interest until a 16-year-old ranch hand dared to venture deeper into their depths. What he found was far more exciting than fertilizer. The wildly decorated caverns astonished local tourists, and before long attracted the interest of government officials. Carlsbad Caverns would be declared a national monument in 1923, and a national park seven years later. Since then, millions of people have descended deep into the underground labyrinth , a complex natural maze where new discoveries are still being made. Since 1986, more than 110 miles of new passageways have been mapped in Lechuguilla Cave, a remote cavern in the park's backcountry. Scientists are researching the potential health benefits to humans of certain microbes that live deep in the cave's pristine environment.

But even if you choose not to visit the caves, there's a lot to do at Carlsbad. The park protects more than 33,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert wilderness, which is open to hikers. Wildlife watchers will delight at the park's impressive bat outflights, which are supplemented by ranger talks. Carlsbad Caverns - New Mexico Tourism - Travel & Vacation Guide Carlsbad Caverns Carlsbad Caverns “....Rocky slopes and canyons, cactus, grass, thorny shrubs, and the occasional tree, who could guess at the hidden treasures deep underground? ” Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a United States National Park in the Guadalupe Mountains in southeastern New Mexico. The primary attraction of the park is the show cave, Carlsbad Cavern. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Visitors to the cave can hike in on their own via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center. The park entrance is located on US Highway 62/180 approximately 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park participates in the Junior Ranger Program.[3] The park has two entries on the National Register of Historic Places: The Caverns Historic District and the Rattlesnake Springs Historic District. Approximately two thirds of the park has been set aside as a wilderness area, helping to ensure no future changes will be made to the habitat. Carlsbad Cavern includes a large cave chamber, the Big Room, a natural limestone chamber which is almost 4,000 feet (1,220 m) long, 625 feet (191 m) wide, and 255 feet (78 m) high at the highest point. It is the third largest chamber in North America and the seventh largest in the world. Contact Us An Underground World: Carlsbad Caverns National Park An Underground World: Carlsbad Caverns National Park May 20, 2016 A highly decorated area can be illuminated using the lanterns on the guided tour of Carlsbad Cavern. Share Copy and paste the embed code below. The code has been copied to your clipboard.

Pop-out player This week, we explore a national park -- and UNESCO World Heritage Site -- in the American Southwest. This national park, near the city of Carlsbad, New Mexico, is unusual in a major way --- it is mostly underground. Carlsbad Caverns National Park contains more than 100 caves below the surface of the desert. Most are closed to the public. But anyone can visit the main attraction, one of the largest caves in the world. The Giant Dome is considered a column as it meets up with the ceiling. The nearly identical Twin Domes come up just short and are stalagmites. Huge. Incredible. Inspiring. Words like these come to mind as visitors enter a world of silence, darkness and cold, almost 230 meters under the ground. An elevator lowers you into the world of Carlsbad Cavern. It is silent, except for the quiet voices of guides and visitors. It is not fully dark though. The National Park Service has enough lighting to see many of the beautiful formations all around. The temperature in the cave is about 13 degrees Celsius. The natural entrance of Carlsbad Caverns. A cavern is a large cave.

But Carlsbad Cavern is really a long series of chambers. One of these is called the Big Room. The Big Room measures more than three hectares. The ceiling is 77 meters high. The Big Room is the single largest underground chamber ever found in North America. The Big Room and other parts of the cavern contain huge, sharp formations of minerals. People are free to explore the lit formations in the Big Room. But park rangers must guide visitors to other areas of the cave. Stalactites hang from the ceiling. Stalagmites rise from the floor. Some even meet to create a column. Other formations look like needles, popcorn, pearls and flowers. Hanging from the ceiling in the Big Room, the group of huge stalactites is known as the Chandelier. ​ One of the first questions visitors might have is how did Carlsbad Cavern form? Guides explain that it did not result from the action of waterways like other limestone caves. Its creator was sulfuric acid. The limestone developed about 250 million years ago. Then, within the last 20 million years, movements in the earth pushed the rock upward, forming the Guadalupe Mountains.

Today these mountains extend from west Texas into southeast New Mexico. The action of oil and natural gas created hydrogen sulfide in the limestone. The hydrogen sulfide reacted with oxygen in rainwater moving through the rock. Sulfuric acid developed. The acid created the caves by dissolving the limestone in its path. Cave pools can be found throughout the Big Room trail, but none are as large or deep as Longfellow's Bathtub Later, the water and most of the acid left the caves as the Guadalupe Mountains continued to rise. This permitted freshwater to move through. The freshwater left behind minerals. These minerals became the formations and shapes on the ceilings, walls and floors of the caves. Unique formations inside the Lechuguilla cave, Carlsbad Caverns National Park. People are not the only visitors to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. About 400,000 Mexican free-tailed bats come from Mexico every summer to give birth in the big cave. As the sun goes down each day, thousands of adult bats fly out of the cave. It can take from 20 minutes to more than two hours for them all to leave. They go to nearby river valleys to feed on insects.

Then, toward morning, they return to the bat cave within Carlsbad Cavern. Mexican free-tailed bats Park Service rangers explain that mother bats find their babies by remembering their location, their smell and the sound of their cry. Mothers and their babies, called pups, hang in groups on the ceiling. They spend the day resting and feeding. While the adults go out at night for food, the young bats hang out in the cave for four or five weeks. Then, in July or August, they join their mothers on these nightly flights. Finally, in late October or early November, the bats all leave and return to Mexico. But they always come back the next year. It is possible that it was the bats that led ancient people to discover the cave. Archaeologists and others have found evidence of Ice Age hunters near the cave entrance. They have also found pieces of spear points left about 10,000 years ago. More recently, Apache Indians painted pictures at the entrance. And evidence of one of their cooking areas was found beside a nearby path. Around 1900, a teenage cowboy named James Larkin White began to explore the cave.

Jim White told his story in the 1932 book, "The Discovery and History of Carlsbad Caverns." Here is a reading of his description of his first sight of the bats and the big cave: "I thought it was a volcano, but then, I’d never seen a volcano -- nor never before had I seen bats swarm, for that matter. During my life on the range I’d seen plenty of prairie whirlwinds -- but this thing didn’t move; it remained in one spot, spinning its way upward. I watched it for perhaps a half-hour -- until my curiosity got the better of me. Then I began investigating …" Jim White told how he built a ladder from rope, wire and sticks and returned to the entrance of the cave a few days later. "Standing at the entrance of the tunnel I could see ahead of me a darkness so absolutely black it seemed a solid. The light of my lantern was but a sickly glow.

Nevertheless, I forged ahead, and with each step the tunnel grew larger, and I felt as though I was wandering into the very core of the Guadalupe Mountains." James Larkin "Jim" White standing next to a guano bucket atop the guano shaft at Carlsbad Caverns. The bucket was used to carry the first tourists into the caverns. Several years later, in 1918, Jim White took a professional photographer into the cave. Ray Davis' pictures of the Big Room appeared in the New York Times newspaper. National interest began to grow. In 1923, scientists from the National Geographic Society explored the caves. The following year, President Calvin Coolidge named Carlsbad a national monument. Presidents can declare national monuments, but Congress must act to establish a national park. And that is what Congress did in 1930. Since then, parts of Carlsbad Caverns have been used for movie sets, weddings, even meetings of the Carlsbad City Council. Most visitors go to the main cavern. But some experienced cavers are permitted to explore five "wild" caves in the park. And, in another one, scientists are studying microbes in search of a cure for cancer.

As for Jim White, he became chief ranger of Carlsbad Caverns. In one story in his book, he talks about all the work that was done in the area. "I doubt if you can understand how happy this modernizing has made me. It's like the pleasant end to a dream." I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm Caty Weaver. Ashley Thompson adapted this report from VOA Learning English archive materials written by Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Carlsbad Caverns National Park | national park, New Mexico, United States | Britannica.com Carlsbad Caverns National Park national park, New Mexico, United States Written By: conservation Carlsbad Caverns National Park, area of the Chihuahuan Desert in southeastern New Mexico , U.S. , near the base of the Guadalupe Mountains (a segment of the Sacramento Mountains ). It was established in 1923 as a national monument , designated a national park in 1930, and proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.

Beneath the park, which has a surface area of 73 square miles (189 square km), are 83 individual caves, including Carlsbad Cavern, the park’s namesake. The park also includes Rattlesnake Springs, a small enclave about 5 miles (8 km) to the southeast. Giant Dome and Twin Domes, stalagmites in the Big Room of Carlsbad Cavern, one of the caves in … Peter Jones/National Park Service Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, designated a World Heritage site in 1995. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. About 250 million years ago, a shallow sea ringed by a vast, horseshoe-shaped limestone reef covered the area. This formation, called Capitan Reef, is found in southeastern New Mexico and western Texas and includes Guadalupe Mountains National Park , just southwest of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. After the sea evaporated, the constant dripping of acidic groundwater carved out the massive underground chambers, converted limestone to gypsum , and formed enormous stalactites , stalagmites , and other cave deposits ranging from the delicate to the bizarre.

Stalactites and stalagmites in the Queen’s Chamber, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, southeastern … NPS Photo by Peter Jones Pictographs near the entrance to Carlsbad Cavern give evidence that Native Americans knew of the site 1,000 years ago, but it wasn’t until the 1880s that nearby settlers rediscovered the location and began mining it for bat guano to be used as fertilizer. One of the miners, James Larkin White—who claimed to have discovered the cavern—explored the cave further and began giving tours lit by kerosene lanterns, lowering the curious to a depth of 170 feet (52 metres) in bat-guano buckets. White also guided early scientific expeditions into the caves, including a major reconnaisance conducted for the U.S. Geological Survey in 1924. Similar Topics Redwood National Park Carlsbad Cavern has a labyrinth of underground chambers, including one of the largest ever discovered.

The total length of the rooms and passages is still unknown, but the explored part of the main cavern is more than 30 miles (48 km) long, of which 3 miles (5 km) are open to visitors. Of the three major levels, the deepest is 1,027 feet (313 metres) belowground. Visitors can walk or take an elevator to the 755-foot (230-metre) level and explore the Big Room, which measures about 2,000 feet (610 metres) long and 1,100 feet (335 metres) wide at its greatest extents and has a ceiling that arches 255 feet (78 metres) above the floor. Found within are the Giant Dome, a stalagmite 62 feet (19 metres) tall; the Twin Domes, only slightly smaller, superbly proportioned and delicately fluted; and the so-called Bottomless Pit, which is some 700 feet (210 metres) deep.

During the summer a colony of about one million Mexican free-tailed bats inhabits a part of the caverns known as Bat Cave; each evening at sunset they swarm out of the cave’s entrance to feed in the surrounding area. To the southwest of Carlsbad Cavern, within the park, is Slaughter Canyon Cave, with the Monarch, one of the world’s tallest columns (89 feet [27 metres]), and a delicate rimstone dam (natural dam formed by the accumulation of calcium carbonate). Near the northern border of the park is Lechuguilla Cave. Since 1984, when exploration of Lechuguilla began, more than 100 miles (160 km) of passages have been surveyed. It is the fifth longest known cave in the world, the third longest in the United States, and it contains underwater formations unlike those found anywhere else in the world. In 1993 Congress passed legislation establishing a cave protection zone of about 10 square miles (25 square km) around Lechuguilla.

The Monarch formation in Slaughter Canyon Cave, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, southeastern New … Peter Jones/National Park Service Carlsbad Caverns National Park : Americas World Heritage Sites : TravelChannel.com Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park Come face to face with 2 billion years of history. It took millions of years for the rushing tides of the Colorado River to cut through prehistoric rock, creating the Grand Canyon. Here, at Horseshoe Bend, the Colorado River makes a sweeping U-turn. 960 1280 Come face to face with 2 billion years of history. It took millions of years for the rushing tides of the Colorado River to cut through prehistoric rock, creating the Grand Canyon. Here, at Horseshoe Bend, the Colorado River makes a sweeping U-turn. Thinkstock Chaco Culture Chaco Culture For 4 centuries, the land we now know as New Mexico was home to an ancient Native American people, the Pueblos. In time, the Pueblos migrated from the area, leaving behind Chaco Canyon -- a testament to the culture that once thrived amid massive sandstone structures like this.

960 1280 For 4 centuries, the land we now know as New Mexico was home to an ancient Native American people, the Pueblos. In time, the Pueblos migrated from the area, leaving behind Chaco Canyon -- a testament to the culture that once thrived amid massive sandstone structures like this. Thinkstock Monticello Monticello Just as he helped shape a new country, Thomas Jefferson dreamed of reviving ancient Roman architecture. Over 4 decades, Jefferson designed and built Monticello. Today, Jefferson's Virginia estate endures as a top neoclassical interpretation of a villa rustica (Roman country house). 960 1280 Just as he helped shape a new country, Thomas Jefferson dreamed of reviving ancient Roman architecture. Over 4 decades, Jefferson designed and built Monticello. Today, Jefferson's Virginia estate endures as a top neoclassical interpretation of a villa rustica (Roman country house). Images Etc Ltd, Getty Images Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty For a time, the Statue of Liberty was just a bunch of pieces packed away in crates, a gift from France.

Then newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer spearheaded a nationwide campaign to raise funds to assemble it. Some 120,000 Americans contributed, putting Lady Liberty on her pedestal. 960 1280 For a time, the Statue of Liberty was just a bunch of pieces packed away in crates, a gift from France. Then newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer spearheaded a nationwide campaign to raise funds to assemble it. Some 120,000 Americans contributed, putting Lady Liberty on her pedestal. Thinkstock Everglades National Park Everglades National Park When sea levels rose after the Ice Age, a rich natural wonderland was born: a subtropical wilderness home to freshwater marshes, pine rocklands, seagrass, birds, reptiles … all part of an intricate ecosystem whose future many preservationists now fear is uncertain. 960 1280 When sea levels rose after the Ice Age, a rich natural wonderland was born: a subtropical wilderness home to freshwater marshes, pine rocklands, seagrass, birds, reptiles … all part of an intricate ecosystem whose future many preservationists now fear is uncertain.

Thinkstock Great Smoky Mountains Great Smoky Mountains There’s a reason it’s the most-visited US park. Stretching from Tennessee into North Carolina, the Great Smoky Mountains remain relatively untouched … with more than 3,500 plant species and dozens of endangered animals in parkland that holds nearly as many trees as in all of Europe. 960 1280 There’s a reason it’s the most-visited US park. Stretching from Tennessee into North Carolina, the Great Smoky Mountains remain relatively untouched … with more than 3,500 plant species and dozens of endangered animals in parkland that holds nearly as many trees as in all of Europe. Getty Kluane National Park Kluane National Park Some of the world’s longest, most impressive glaciers can be found within Kluane National Park. It’s part of a trio of national parks, straddling the border between Canada and Alaska. Mountains, lakes, glaciers and valleys all await -- including Quill Creek, on the Canadian side, which flows from the St. Elias Mountains. 960 1280 Some of the world’s longest, most impressive glaciers can be found within Kluane National Park.

It’s part of a trio of national parks, straddling the border between Canada and Alaska. Mountains, lakes, glaciers and valleys all await -- including Quill Creek, on the Canadian side, which flows from the St. Elias Mountains. Getty Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park The spectacular sight of geysers spewing water and steam into the air only happens in a few places on Earth. The main stage for many is Yellowstone National Park -- it contains the world’s largest concentration of geysers. 960 1280 The spectacular sight of geysers spewing water and steam into the air only happens in a few places on Earth. The main stage for many is Yellowstone National Park -- it contains the world’s largest concentration of geysers. Thinkstock Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Hawaii Volcanoes National Park See the Earth take shape before your eyes. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is home to 2 of the world’s most active volcanoes. A continual flow of lava kneads the park's ground into an amazing kaleidoscope of shapes and colors. 960 1280 See the Earth take shape before your eyes.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is home to 2 of the world’s most active volcanoes. A continual flow of lava kneads the park's ground into an amazing kaleidoscope of shapes and colors. Getty La Fortaleza at San Juan La Fortaleza at San Juan In the 1600s, everyone wanted a piece San Juan. So Roman Emperor Charles V ordered the building of La Fortaleza (The Fortress) to defend its harbor. Today, it’s home to Puerto Rico’s governor, making it the world’s oldest executive mansion. 960 1280 In the 1600s, everyone wanted a piece San Juan. So Roman Emperor Charles V ordered the building of La Fortaleza (The Fortress) to defend its harbor. Today, it’s home to Puerto Rico’s governor, making it the world’s oldest executive mansion. Thinkstock Olympic National Park Olympic National Park Mountains, glaciers, pristine rivers -- they're all here. As the longest undeveloped coast in the contiguous US, this geological wonder in Washington State has many star attractions -- including Ruby Beach, with its foggy shoreline. 960 1280 Mountains, glaciers, pristine rivers -- they're all here.

As the longest undeveloped coast in the contiguous US, this geological wonder in Washington State has many star attractions -- including Ruby Beach, with its foggy shoreline. Getty Mammoth Cave National Park Mammoth Cave National Park Descend into a prehistoric world of natural caves and underground passageways in … Kentucky. Yes, the Bluegrass State is home to the world’s most extensive cave system, shaped over 100 million years. 960 1280 Descend into a prehistoric world of natural caves and underground passageways in … Kentucky. Yes, the Bluegrass State is home to the world’s most extensive cave system, shaped over 100 million years. Getty Independence Hall Independence Hall In this building, American history took shape … and found a voice. Both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall -- cementing it as the birthplace of the United States of America. 960 1280 In this building, American history took shape … and found a voice. Both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall -- cementing it as the birthplace of the United States of America.

Thinkstock Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park What happens when glaciers erode? Yosemite National Park tells one story through cliffs, domes and 5 of the world’s highest waterfalls -- all part of the distinctive natural beauty that emerged through repeated glacier movements over millions of years. 960 1280 What happens when glaciers erode? Yosemite National Park tells one story through cliffs, domes and 5 of the world’s highest waterfalls -- all part of the distinctive natural beauty that emerged through repeated glacier movements over millions of years. Thinkstock Pueblo de Taos Pueblo de Taos This Pueblo Indian residential complex isn’t just history. About 150 people -- descendants of Native Americans who’ve called this area home for 1,000 years -- live within these sun-dried, mud-brick buildings in a stretch of valley in northern New Mexico. 960 1280 This Pueblo Indian residential complex isn’t just history. About 150 people -- descendants of Native Americans who’ve called this area home for 1,000 years -- live within these sun-dried, mud-brick buildings in a stretch of valley in northern New Mexico.

Thinkstock Mesa Verde National Park Mesa Verde National Park Some of the world's best-preserved cliff dwellings are found here. For 900 years, southwest Colorado was home to Pueblo Indians. Within tiered cliffs, they built sandstone dwellings -- including Cliff Palace. Its 150 rooms suggest this was a grand place of communal gathering. 960 1280 Some of the world's best-preserved cliff dwellings are found here. For 900 years, southwest Colorado was home to Pueblo Indians. Within tiered cliffs, they built sandstone dwellings -- including Cliff Palace. Its 150 rooms suggest this was a grand place of communal gathering. Getty Waterton Glacier International Peace Park Waterton Glacier International Peace Park In 1932, Canada and Montana created the world’s first “international peace park” -- the union of Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park. Explore the area’s diverse geography, from prairies to mountains. Maybe even check into the Prince of Wales Hotel, overlooking the Canadian town of Waterton.

960 1280 In 1932, Canada and Montana created the world’s first “international peace park” -- the union of Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park. Explore the area’s diverse geography, from prairies to mountains. Maybe even check into the Prince of Wales Hotel, overlooking the Canadian town of Waterton. Thinkstock Redwood National and State Parks Redwood National and State Parks There are trees, and then there are trees. California is home to some of the tallest -- and oldest -- ones in the world. The redwoods stretch back 160 million years, when they populated many moist, temperate regions of the world, but now mainly find a home on the West Coast. 960 1280 There are trees, and then there are trees. California is home to some of the tallest -- and oldest -- ones in the world. The redwoods stretch back 160 million years, when they populated many moist, temperate regions of the world, but now mainly find a home on the West Coast.

DEA /G.SIOEN, Getty Images Carlsbad Caverns National Park Carlsbad Caverns National Park Some 750 feet below ground, New Mexico's Carlsbad Cavern awaits. Distinguished by huge chambers, the cave includes decorative rock formations, from columns to stalactites. 960 1280 Some 750 feet below ground, New Mexico's Carlsbad Cavern awaits. Distinguished by huge chambers, the cave includes decorative rock formations, from columns to stalactites. Getty Papahānaumokuākea Papahānaumokuākea This is where life begins and the spirit returns. So says native Hawaiian lore about this stretch of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Spanning 1,200 nautical miles, its coral reef colonies showcase 7,000 marine mammals, sea turtles, bird, invertebrates and fish -- making it the largest conservation area under the US flag. 960 1280 This is where life begins and the spirit returns. So says native Hawaiian lore about this stretch of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Spanning 1,200 nautical miles, its coral reef colonies showcase 7,000 marine mammals, sea turtles, bird, invertebrates and fish -- making it the largest conservation area under the US flag. Donald Miralle, Getty Images Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Before the Pilgrims, there were the Cahokia, an ancient, pre-Columbian people who made their home in what is now Illinois. Some 20,000 of them settled in a place called Cahokia Mounds -- a city that, in 1250 A.D., was the largest north of Mexico. 960 1280 Before the Pilgrims, there were the Cahokia, an ancient, pre-Columbian people who made their home in what is now Illinois. Some 20,000 of them settled in a place called Cahokia Mounds -- a city that, in 1250 A.D., was the largest north of Mexico.

Getty Carlsbad Caverns National Park — The Greatest American Road Trip Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, USA | Park 13/59 The Grand Canyon with a roof over it. — Will Rogers Art takes nature as its model.  — Aristotle Art by Earth: Carlsbad Caverns National Park As our adventures march on this year, they are, as a collection, becoming more and more surreal. One day we're standing on the rooftop of Texas , and the very next we are standing inside of our home planet, 750 feet underground beneath the Earth’s surface in New Mexico. Carlsbad Caverns National Park can most adequately be described as living artwork. The stalactites hang from the ceiling like delicate chandeliers, the stalagmites rise up from the ground like a forest of trees, and holding it all together is a limestone container—it’s a little like being inside of a geological cantaloupe.

As we wandered the caverns, I got to thinking about an incredible series of artwork created by NASA titled " Earth as Art ." It is a collection of images captured by Earth-observing satellites that have provided invaluable information for decades about Earth and how it is changing from the vantage point of space. These photographs show amazingly brilliant, colorful, intricately designed landscapes measured outside of the visible range of light, so you can see more than what is visible to the naked eye. You can feel their movement; they look like beautiful abstract paintings. The chambers of Carlsbad Caverns are like that. This experience was quite different than our first cave visit this year ( Kentucky ’ s Mammoth Cave in February .) Mammoth feels much more primitive whereas Carlsbad feels well-maintained and controlled. Mammoth has the vastness of the Rocky Mountains; Carlsbad has the opulence of Oregon’s Crater Lake. To compare the two caves would do a disservice to them both. They're so different. In fact, when we walked into Carlsbad, the dissimilarities of the two caves was what first struck us both. Then, the massive size of the chamber beckoned us down a hypnotizing corridor into Earth...

The 1¼ mile Natural Entrance trail descends down 750 feet leading into what feels like a great showroom—"welcome to the museum of wonder!" it shouts. While there are definite standouts (the 200,000-ton fallen boulder called Iceberg Rock comes to mind,) it is our opinion that this room is less about one main site and more about grand first impressions and a perspective of scale. This is the jaw-dropping, “whoa...”portion of the hike. Where the steep path levels out is where one trail ends and another begins... enter the unmistakable Big Room, the largest single chamber in North America and the undisputed star of this park. The variety and quantity of sculptures of tubes, spires, ribbons, drapes, curtains, stalagmites, stalactites, totem poles, soda straws, and other fantastic sounding organic shapes inside the 8-acre room forms a grand gallery of art. If you look long enough, your visual understanding of it evolves. A visit is like attending an unveiling of a master work by the greatest artist on Earth—Nature.

Fact Box UNESCO World Heritage Site | 30 miles of mapped caves | 119 known caves From April through mid-October, visitors watch the nightly spectacle of several hundred thousand Brazilian free-tail bats exiting Carlsbad Cavern in search of food. Photo credit: Nick Hristov/National Park Service Official name: Carlsbad Caverns National Park Established: May 14, 1930 Location: Southeast New Mexico, in the Guadalupe Mountains range How the park got its name: Carlsbad Caverns National Park was named after the town it resides in.

The name ‘Carlsbad’ was adopted in America (Carlsbad in San Diego is another to coin the name), during the late 19th century to mirror the elite European spa, Karlsbad in what was then Bohemia (now the Czech Republic.) Iconic site in the park: When you think of caves, you probably think of bats… and there is no greater place to see bats in flight than at Carlsbad Caverns, where every year from May through October, you can watch hundreds of thousands of Brazilian Free-Tailed bats fly from the Natural Cave Entrance into the twilight sky during what is called the Bat Flight program. One great reason to go, and a great reason for us to go back! Accessible adventure: Explore the cave system with a ranger on one of the guided adventures and see areas that are otherwise not accessible, including King's Palace, the Left Hand Tunnel, and the Spider Cave. In some you will crawl, some you will carry a lantern, some you will climb down a ladder into the darkness – in all, you’ll have unusual underground fun. Group-led adventures are a great way to learn more than you ever could on a self-guided tour.

Ranger guides are a wealth of knowledge and are happy when people show active interest in the parks—worthy of tapping into by asking great questions. If caving isn’t your thing, the nearby above-ground Rattlesnake Springs Historic District picnic area provides a place to kick back and take in the incredible desert landscape of the Guadalupe Mountains and remnants of the ancient barrier reef that exists there. Big adventure: The self-guided Natural Entrance trail descends 750-feet down a paved pathway on a 1¼ mile trail that was blazed before you by early explorers of the Caverns (sans cement of course.) This first section gives you a real sense of what it feels like to be underground. Continuing onto the second portion of the trail and you will find yourself in the “Big Room,” a flat 1¼ mile walking path that brings you face-to-face with ornately carved drapes, stalactites, stalagmites, spires, and other limestone formations. Know before you go: Elevator access from the visitor center to the famed Big Room has been out of commission since November of 2015 and a repair date is still being determined.

At the time of writing this, there is only one way to get to this room located 750 feet beneath the Natural Entrance and that is on foot. Big adventure indeed, the climb down is steep and the climb back to the top is strenuous with no alternative route. Did you know? The Carlsbad Caverns Park entrance is located just 25 miles from Guadalupe Mountains National Park across the Texas state line. The Guadalupe Mountain range itself is home to both parks. Carlsbad Caverns has 30 miles of mapped caves. Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky is home to the largest known cave system on Earth, with more than 405 miles. Unlike many other caves, tripod photography is welcome at Carlsbad Caverns. It’s cool underground! Seriously, temperatures in the caves of North America consistently hover around 55 degrees. The Big Room is the largest cave chamber in North America by volume, with the capability to swallow six football fields. “The Bottomless Pit” is one of the famed stops in the Big Room.

It is a drop falling only 140 feet—but at the time of discovery, it was thought to be "bottomless." (Note: wise men shall not throw debris into the pit to test its depth. Ranger's have to repel down annually to clean out the bottom.) Carlsbad Caverns has two entries in the National Registrar of Historic Places—one above ground (Rattlesnake Springs Historic District) and one below (Cavern Historic District). Explorer great Amelia Earhart visited the caverns in 1928. Bats! Bats weigh the equivalent to about three nickels. There are 17 species found at Carlsbad Caverns. Although half-a-million bats live inside Carlsbad Caverns, you will rarely see one along the main trails. White Nose Syndrome is a fungus that, according to the National Park Service , has killed more than 7 million bats in the United States – a number that is expected to grow. How this effects visitors: If you’ve been inside any cave within the passed 7 years you will need to have your shoes and other equipment (tripod legs, backpack bottom) sanitized prior to entering this and other caves in the U.S. National Parks .

UNESCO Scientific Statement of Significance From the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization The more than 100 limestone caves within Carlsbad Caverns National Park are outstanding and notable world-wide because of their size, mode of origin, and the abundance, diversity and beauty of the speleothems (decorative rock formations) within. On-going geologic processes continue to form rare and unique speleothems, particularly in Lechuguilla Cave. Carlsbad Caverns and Lechuguilla Cave are well known for their great natural beauty, exceptional geologic features, and unique reef and rock formations. The Permian-aged Capitan Reef complex (in which Carlsbad Caverns, Lechuguilla and other caves formed) is one of the best preserved and most accessible complexes available for scientific study in the world. Criterion (vii): The park’s primary caves, Carlsbad and Lechuguilla, are well known for the abundance, diversity, and beauty of their decorative rock formations.

Lechuguilla Cave exhibits rare and unique speleothems, including a great abundance of large calcite and gypsum formations, including the largest accumulation of gypsum “chandeliers,” some of which extend more than six meters (18 feet) in length. Criterion (viii): Carlsbad Caverns National Park is one of the few places in the world where on-going geologic processes are most apparent and rare speleothems continue to form, enabling scientists to study geological processes in a virtually undisturbed environment. These speleothems include helictites forming underwater, calcite and gypsum speleothems, and an astonishing collection of “biothems,” cave formations assisted in their formation by bacteria. Researchers can study both the Capitan reef’s inside through cave passages that penetrate in and through it as well as eroded canyon-exposed cross sections outside. Tour Park Detail - Carlsbad Caverns National Park Tours, New Mexico - Recreation.gov Photos Overview: Tucked beneath the scenic and rugged Chihuahuan Desert, in the rocky slopes and deep canyons of Guadalupe Mountain range you will find Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Come explore the largest chambered cavern in North America.

The Guadalupe Mountains are an uplifted portion of ancient reef, which thrived along the edge of an inland sea more than 250 million years ago. Preserved in the rocks are the ancient bodies of sponges, algae, snails, nautilus and more. This fossil reef formed the caves beneath the surface. Over time, sulfuric acid dissolved into surrounding limestone, creating stunning rock formations jutting down from the cave ceilings. More than 300,000 visitors travel to Carlsbad Caverns each year for a rare glimpse of the underground worlds preserved beneath the desert. Visitors may choose to hike the steep one and a quarter mile paved trail entering through the cave's Natural Entrance, which leads them into the spectacular one and a quarter mile Big Room trail. Or, you can simply take an elevator ride from the Visitor Center directly to the Big Room trail. Most of the cave trail is self-guided and included in your general admission fee, the day you arrive at the park. Seeking a more adventurous cave experience? You can choose from several ranger-guided tours . Tours can range from relatively easy strolls to physically strenuous and mentally challenging adventure tours.

Visitors are encouraged to review the tour details before making a reservation. Book Now Know Before You Go: GENERAL RULES Cave Tours: Most of the cave trail is self-guided; Natural Entrance and the Big Room. Reserved tours are additional areas that you can experience with a ranger. Visit our website to learn more. Reserved Tickets: Must be picked up 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time. Late arrival may result in forfeiting your reserved tour. No refunds for late arrivals. Long lines: You may experience long wait times in and out of the cave, May through September. Come early in the day! Health Warnings: Cave tours are not recommend for people with known heart or respiratory problems, back, knee or walking issues of any kind, or for people with vertigo or claustrophobia issues. Determine your own physical ability! Food and Drink: Plain WATER ONLY! Candy, tobacco or gum are NOT permitted to be taken into cave. The historic Underground Lunchroom offers drinks, sandwiches and salads. What to Wear: Hiking boots or sturdy shoes are recommended. Sandals or flip-flops are NOT recommended for self-guided tours. (See specific requirements for each tour).

Temperature: The average cave temperature is 56 degrees - 90% Humidity year-round. Accessibility: Big Room accessible by wheelchair, entry only by elevators. Canes and crutches allowed only if needed for mobility. Baby Strollers: NOT allowed on the cave trails. Hiking poles: NOT permitted in the cave. Cameras: Flash photography is allowed inside cave. Be courteous to other visitors. Protecting Bats: DO NOT WEAR OR BRING ANY ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN IN ANY OTHER CAVES OR MINES. White-nose syndrome is a disease affecting hibernating bats. Help stop the spread of this fungus. Age: No age limit for general admission. See each specific tour description for age limits. Phone Number: To reserve tour tickets, select the "book now" button on this page or call toll free 1-877-444-6777 Visitor Center Operational Hours: Winter hours are from Labor Day until Memorial Day weekend, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summers hours are from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Park information Monday through Friday: (575) 785-2232 Park information Weekends: (575) 785-3152 To cancel a reservation on the day of the reservation call the park at (575) 785-3518 ACTIVITIES From Carlsbad, NM (40 minutes) Drive south on US 62/180 (Canal St) Turn west on NM 7 (Whites City, NM) Seven miles to the Visitor Center** From El Paso, TX (2.5 hours) Drive east on US 62/180 (Montana Ave) Turn west on NM 7 (Whites City, NM) Seven miles to the Visitor Center** From Fort Stockton, TX via Pecos TX (2.5 hours) Drive north on US 285 Turn west on Black River Village Rd (county road 720, Malaga, NM) Turn south on US 62/180 Turn west on NM 7 (Whites City, NM) Seven miles to the Visitor Center** **Notice: The last 7 miles are winding roadway.

Please be alert and aware of wildlife or slower moving vehicles on road. Contact Information: NPS: Nature & Science» Geology Resources Division Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico A Journey Underground Your encounter with Carlsbad Caverns National Park begins in the Chihuahuan Desert of the Guadalupe Mountains. But beyond the somewhat familiar surroundings of rugged mountains and broad plains is another world. Away from the sunlight, away from the flowering cactus, away from the songs of the desert birds and the howl of the coyote, lies the celebrated underground world of Carlsbad Cavern. It is an incomparable realm of gigantic subterranean chambers, fantastic cave formations, and extraordinary features. The first adventurers entering Carlsbad Cavern had no idea what to expect as they walked, crawled, and climbed down into the darkness. Today many of the wonders of Carlsbad Cavern are well known, yet the experience of exploring its chambers is every bit as exciting. The Creation of the Cavern The story of the creation of Carlsbad Cavern begins 250 million years ago with the creation of a 400-mile-long reef in an inland sea that covered this region.

This horseshoe-shaped reef formed from the remains of sponges, algae, and seashells and from calcite that precipitated directly from the water. Cracks developed in the reef as it grew seaward. Eventually the sea evaporated and the reef was buried under deposits of salts and gypsum. Then, a few million years ago, uplift and erosion of the area began to uncover the buried rock reef. Rainwater, made slightly acidic from the air and soil, seeped down into the cracks in the reef, slowly dissolving the limestone and beginning the process that would form large underground chambers. Many geologists believe that the fresh rainwater mixed with deeper salty water to form sulfuric acid. The added power of this very corrosive substance could explain the tremendous size of the passageways that formed. The exposed reef became a part of the Guadalupe Mountains and the huge underground chambers far below the surface became the natural wonder of Carlsbad Cavern. The Cave is Decorated, Drop by Drop The decoration of Carlsbad Cavern with stalactites, stalagmites, and an incredible variety of other formations began more than 500,000 years ago after much of the cavern had been carved out.

It happened slowly, drop by drop, at a time when a wetter, cooler climate prevailed. The creation of each formation depended on water that dripped or seeped down into the limestone bedrock and into the cave. As a raindrop fell to the ground and percolated downward, it absorbed carbon dioxide gas from the air and soil, and a weak acid was formed. As it continued to move downward the drop dissolved a little limestone, absorbing a bit of the basic ingredient needed to build most cave formations - the mineral calcite. Once the drop finally emerged in the cave, the carbon dioxide escaped into the cave air. No longer able to hold the dissolved calcite, the drop deposited its tiny mineral load as a crystal of calcite. Billions and billons of drops later, thousands of cave formations had taken shape. And, oh, the shapes they took! Where water dripped slowly from the ceiling, soda straws and large stalactites appeared. Water falling on the floor created stalagmites. Sometimes a stalactite and stalagmite joined, forming a column. Draperies were hung where water ran down a slanted ceiling. Water flowing over the surface of a wall or floor deposited layers of calcite called flowstone.

Cave pearls, lily pads, and rimstone dams appeared where pools of water or streams occurred in the cave. Like oyster pearls, cave pearls were made as layer upon layer of calcite built up around a grain of sand or other tiny object. Lily pads formed on the surface of pools, while dams formed where water flowed slowly on the floor. Another type of cave formation that decorated cave walls and even other formations was popcorn, which may have formed when water evaporated and left behind calcite deposits. Some of the more unusual formations to occur in Carlsbad Cavern are helictites, which grow seemingly without regard to gravity, their twisting shapes, impurities, and the force of water under pressure. Other rare formations are those composed not of calcite, but of aragonite, a mineral chemically identical to calcite but with a different crystal structure. These formations tend to be small, delicate, and needle-like. Exploring the Cave You can explore the vast underground world of Carlsbad Cavern along two self-guided routes. See Cavern Tours page for details. The routes follow paved, well lighted trails.

Underground facilities are limited to restrooms and the Underground Lunchroom, where you can buy sandwiches, box lunches, and drinks. You begin your tour at the visitor center. At the center, cave entrance fees are collected and a CD ROM tour guide and up-to-date information on the cave are available. Slaughter Canyon Cave Ranger-guided tours of Slaughter Canyon Cave take you into an underground wilderness without electricity, paved walkways, or other modern conveniences. In this wild cave, darkness is broken only by the light of lanterns carried by rangers and flashlights carried by tour members. Among the highlights of the 2-hour, 1&#188-mile tour are the 89-foot-high Monarch, one of the world's tallest columns; the sparkling, crystal-decorated Christmas Tree column; and the Chinese Wall, a delicate, ankle-high rimstone dam. Old bat guano mining excavations also can be seen. Tours are given daily in the summer and on weekends the rest of the year. A fee is charged. Reservations must be made at the visitor center or by calling the park. You have to hike a strenuous &#189-mile trail to reach the cave entrance, where the tour begins.

Sturdy walking shoes, flashlights, and water are required. Preserving a National Treasure The protection and preservation of Carlsbad Cavern is the mission of the National Park Service and the responsibility of every visitor. Unfortunately, many of the cave's smaller and more delicate formations have been damaged over the years by careless visitors. Experimental techniques, such as those that enable rangers to match pieces of broken stalactites and painstakingly glue them back together, are sometimes successful, but in practically all cases damage is irreversible. Please assist the National Park Service in preserving Carlsbad Cavern by observing park regulations. Touching cave formations is prohibited. Formations are easily broken and the oil from your skin permanantly discolors the rock. Smoking, or any use of tobacco, is not permitted. Eating and drinking are not permitted except in the Underground Lunchroom. Throwing coins, food, or other objects in cave pools is forbidden. Foreign objects ruin the natural appearance of the pools and are difficult to remove. Also, the chemical reaction between foreign objects, the water, and the rock can leave permanant stains. Photography is permitted when you tour on your own, but not when you accompany a ranger-guided tour.

Photographers should not rest tripods or other camera equipment on formations or step off the trails. Strollers are not permitted because parts of the trails are steep and narrow. Geologic Resource Evaluation Report – A detailed geologic report is available that provides an introduction to the geologic history of the park and its geologic formations, identifies geologic features and processes that are important to park ecosystems, describes key resource management challenges and possible solutions, and lists geologic research and monitoring needs. The General park map handed out at the visitor center is available on the park's map webpage . View the park's map to create your own personal maps and images right here . For information about topographic maps, geologic maps, and geologic data sets, please see the geologic maps page. A photo album for this park can be fond on the park's webpage . For information on other photo collections featuring National Park geology, please see the Image Sources page.

Question: In which American state would you find the Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Answer: New Mexico